Long Was the Winter Road They Travelled: A Tale of the Nativity - Hardcover

Lewis, J. Patrick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0803718144 ISBN 13: 9780803718142

Publisher: Dial, 1997

Synopsis

The birth of Jesus is witnessed by a variety of animals, not just the ox and the lamb, but the spider and the owl, too, all of whom help spread the Good News to the world

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 1-3?Quiet, well-chosen words describe the gathering of the animals to witness Jesus's birth. As Mary and Joseph settle into the stable, the verse sets the scene: "The flute of a Cuckoo piped music/On the rump of Burro Brown,/And a spider wrote an enchanting note/On the hem of Mary's gown." The text mentions many of the beasts present, as they observe the first hours of the baby's life. When Joseph bids them, "Go, all of you/Who grace the blessed Earth,/To every Sister and Brother Beast?/Tell them you marked His birth," the pace of the poem quickens, as the creatures hurry to spread the word. Somewhat reminiscent of Margery Facklam's Only a Star (Eerdmans, 1996), this book focuses on the animals. The oil paintings, dominated by tones of tan and brown, depict the beasts in poses true to their nature. Mary is a young girl, looking tired and somber from both her long journey and the birth. Joseph appears bedraggled and drawn. The high point is the dramatic and spectacular illustration of the "great green rush of Hummingbirds" as they fly from the center of a two-page spread and light streams out behind them. A book filled with wonder.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dial
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0803718144
• ISBN 13: 9780803718142
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Bairley Drew